2019 FALL NEWSLETTER - depts.ttu.edu · FALL NEWSLETTER KSM Welcomes Three New Faculty and One...
Transcript of 2019 FALL NEWSLETTER - depts.ttu.edu · FALL NEWSLETTER KSM Welcomes Three New Faculty and One...
2019 FALL
NEWSLETTER
KSM Welcomes Three
New Faculty and One
Undergraduate Adviser
Page 2
SPOTL IGHT AND AWARDS
Page 10
Faculty Grants Fund
Research Projects and
Community Service
Page 13
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and Undergraduate Adviser
KSM Welcomes Three New Faculty
DR. MICHAEL MASSETT
A new Associate Professor in exercise physiology, Dr. Massett earned his B.S. in
Physical Education from Syracuse University and an M.S. degree in Exercise and
Sport Sciences from the University of Arizona. He earned his Ph.D. in Exercise
Science at the University of Iowa and completed post-doctoral training in
cardiovascular physiology at New York Medical College and the University of
Rochester School of Medicine. The overall objectives of his research are to identify
the genetic factors modulating the individual differences in response to exercise
training and to elucidate the mechanistic basis for chronic diseases associated with
low levels of fitness. The National Institutes of Health and the American Heart
Association have funded his research.
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DR. NA RI SHIN
Dr. Shin is a new Assistant Professor in sport management in the Department of
Kinesiology and Sport Management. While graduating from the University of Illinois,
she won the 2019 Student Research Competition for her dissertation from the North
American Society for Sport Management. The overall focus of her research lies in the
field of sport and development and how the knowledge of management is contested
within it. She does this with linkages to globalization and transnationalism by
problematizing the dynamics of sport as an emerging development agenda and tool.
She also seeks to understand sport and development in conjunction with the concept
of diaspora, i.e., movement of people.
DR. ALICE VILLALOBOS
Dr. Villalobos earned a Ph.D. in physiology at the University of Arizona-College of
Medicine with an emphasis in comparative physiology of fluid/electrolyte balance. She
currently teaches Physiological Application of Nutrition to Exercise and Physical
Activity. She truly enjoys working with our undergraduate students and attributes her
positive impression of Texas Tech and Lubbock to her students’ enthusiasm for
learning and willingness to help each other. Before joining the department, she taught
anatomy-physiology and nutrition at Blinn College in Bryan, Texas, for several
years. Her teaching experiences also have included undergraduate and graduate
courses in physiology, toxicology, and nutrition.
JESSICA TERRAZAS
Jessica lives in Lubbock with her husband and two children. She moved to Lubbock in
August of 2018 from Big Spring, Texas. She has always wanted to be an adviser
especially at Texas Tech. She is working on finishing her bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
She enjoys attending all the sporting events here at Texas Tech. Her hobbies include
spending time with her family and doing anything outdoors. She is excited to learn about
the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management and help students in their career
paths.
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Welcoming Our Nine New
Thaís Benoit received her bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Universidade Federal
de Viçosa-Brazil in 2016. After participating in different internships and extracurricular
activities, Thaís became interested in learning more about sport and exercise psychology. As
an undergraduate, Thaís had the opportunity to study in the United States for one and a half
years. While in the United States, she worked with people from different cultures, learned a new
language, and developed new research interests such as motivation and health behaviors, her
current area of research. Thaís started her master’s degree in Kinesiology at Texas Tech in
2018 and earned her degree in 2019. This program allowed her to learn more about the field of
sport and exercise psychology, write and publish scientific articles, and participate in
conferences, such as the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical
Activity. As a new Ph.D. student, Thaís looks forward to learning more about health-related and
preventive behaviors and hope to contribute to the field of sport science by developing
innovative and original research.
Luke Chowning was born and raised in northeast Indiana. After graduating from high school,
he went to Faulkner University for two years where he met his future wife. He then moved to
Lubbock and married his sweetheart in 2015. Luke received a Bachelor of Science from
Lubbock Christian University in 2016 and obtained his Master of Science from Texas Tech
University in 2019. Under the mentorship of Dr. John Harry, Luke completed his master’s thesis
titled “The comparison of maximally and standard cushioned shoes on jump performance.”
Luke is currently working in his doctorate under the guidance of Dr. Harry with an expressed
interest in improving athletic performance and improving explosive movements. Currently, he
is working on research involving various verbal cues for countermovement jump performance.
Luke is teaching lab sections of Applied Exercise Physiology and taught golf, bowling, and diet
and exercise as a teaching assistant during his master’s program. Upon attaining his
doctorate, Luke plans on teaching at a university while continuing his research endeavors and
mentoring students of his own.
Ph.D. Students
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Patrick Harty was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated summa cum laude
with a B.S. in Exercise Science from Lindenwood University and later earned a M.S. in
Human Performance from the same institution. Patrick completed his master’s thesis under
the guidance of Dr. Chad Kerksick, examining the effects of differing times of pre-exercise
caffeine administration on strength, power, and muscular endurance in resistance-trained
males and females. He also competed as part of the Lindenwood University Olympic
weightlifting team during his undergraduate years, training under coach Ma Jianping, a 1984
Olympic competitor. Patrick currently works as a doctoral researcher under Dr. Grant Tinsley
in the Energy Balance & Body Composition Laboratory and teaches two sections of Exercise
Testing and Prescription Laboratory. His primary research interests include nutrient timing,
body composition, the safety and efficacy of sports supplements, athlete monitoring, and
sports science. Patrick’s work has been published in research journals including Nutrients,
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, Frontiers in Nutrition, Journal of
Sports Sciences, and the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Hyoseon Kim earned her Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine at CHA University in
Pocheon, South Korea. She earned her Master of Science degree in Kinesiology with an
emphasis in Exercise Physiology at Texas A&M University. During her master's program,
her research focused on endothelial function in large and small blood vessels. She
presented her findings in a poster titled “Heterogeneous effects of aging on vasomotor
function in large and small arteries” at the 2019 Experimental Biology Conference in Orlando,
Florida. She also worked on the project “Genetic background influences endothelial function
along the mouse vascular tree,” which was presented at the same conference. Her Ph.D.
program mentor is Dr. Michael Massett. Her research interest centers around the effects of
genetic background on vasomotor function (endothelial function and vascular smooth
muscle function). She plans to assess gene expression, protein expression and vascular
function to determine the mechanisms underlying mouse strain differences in vasomotor
function.
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John Krzyszkowski’s research focuses on quantifying movement strategies in acyclic tasks
and providing exercise interventions which enhance athletic performance in power-focused
sports working with Dr. John Harry. Prior to attending Texas Tech, John received his M.S.
degree in Clinical and Translational Rehabilitation Health Sciences with an emphasis in
biomechanics from Marquette University. He also received his B.S. degree in Exercise
Physiology from Marquette University. At Marquette University, John was as a professional
strength and conditioning intern, biomechanics research assistant, and a volunteer assistant
track and field coach. As an athlete, John competed for Canada internationally and
completed his collegiate career as a four-time conference champion and school record
holder for Marquette University in the javelin throw. He is a Certified Strength and
Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, Certified
Nutrition Coach through Precision Nutrition, and a Certified USA Track and Field Level 1
Coach through the United States Track and Field Federation. John has presented at the
International Society of Biomechanics in Sports annual conference and at the American
College of Sports Medicine national conference. John’s academic aspirations stem from the
years he spent training as a javelin thrower.
Mauricio Martinez works in the Exercise and Thermal Integrative Physiology Laboratory
under Dr. Eric Rivas. He is a California kid, born and raised. He attended California State
University, Fullerton for his undergraduate degree and conducted research looking at
epigenetics and its possible influence on fiber type specificity in both trained and untrained
males. He then earned a his master’s degree at California State University, Long Beach
while working under Drs. Schick and Cotter in the Physiology of Sport and Exercise
Laboratory, teaching multiple exercise physiology lab classes, and conducting various
research projects. Among these studies he sought to understand a possible relationship
between hormonal and inflammatory markers. These studies involved participants exerting
different types of acute exercises followed by obtaining either blood, saliva or biopsy
samples to further examine potential reactions. There is potential to investigate
thermodynamic stress on hormones, inflammatory markers, and genes and utilize these
techniques to further investigate metabolic diseases and elucidate alternative methods to
combat them. His long-term goal is to obtain a position in academia.
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Arsalan Moinuddin earned his M.B.B.S. in Medicine from Al-Ameen Medical College in
Bijapur, India, a M.P.H. in Public Health from the University of Glasgow in Scotland, and a
M.D. in Medical Physiology from the Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences in Dehradun,
India. He also served as an assistant professor in the Departments of Physiology at the
National Institute of Medical Sciences in Jaipur, India, and Shridev Suman Subharti Medical
College in Dehradun, India. Arsalan is working in Dr. Arturo Figueroa’s Vascular Health
Laboratory focusing primarily on the association between vascular function and exercise
intervention (using strength training and L-citrulline administration) on the development of
chronic diseases (Type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension etc.). He and others have installed
a variety of equipment in our lab to assess endothelial function, hemodynamic parameters,
peripheral and central blood pressure measurement, arterial stiffness and cardiac
autonomic functions to name a few. His educational background in medicine and prior
experience of working in autonomic function lab during his residency training in medical
physiology provided him a smooth transition into the field of vascular health research.
Alejandra (Dassy) Salazar was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She has have three
amazing dogs, Blitz, Bane, and Woody, who are basically her children. She has had them
since they were puppies and cannot live without them. Her favorite hobby is working out.
She lifts weights 6-7 days a week and is very proud of her 225 lb. deadlift (She is 5’2, 125
lb.). She hopes to one day compete in the Wellness Division of bodybuilding. She received
her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas State University and her master’s degree
in exercise science from Texas A&M University – Kingsville. After graduating from her
master’s program, she spent a year living in Austin enjoying all that beautiful city has to
offer. She then decided to pursue a Ph.D. in exercise physiology to open up more career
opportunities. Her research interest lies in performance. She is working under the
mentorship of Dr. Eric Rivas. Her dream job is to work with some sort of professional sports
team working closely with their strength and conditioning programs.
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Matthew T. Stratton received his M.S. with Honors in Applied Exercise and Health
Sciences at Kennesaw State University (KSU). He received his B.S. in Exercise Science
from the University of New Mexico (UNM), graduating Summa Cum Laude and receiving
the outstanding exercise science graduate award. During his undergraduate studies, he
held internships in the UNM Exercise Physiology Lab and KSU Human Performance Lab,
assisting in both applied and molecular research. He is a student reviewer for the
International Society of Sports Nutrition and the Western Society of Kinesiology and
Wellness. Working under the direction of Dr. Grant Tinsley, his research centers on
examining both the applied and molecular responses to various supplementation and
nutritional interventions, with a focus on muscular strength, power, and body composition.
Matthew has presented topics of protein and supplementation at multiple universities, as
well as at regional and national conferences. He has published on the topics in many peer-
reviewed journals in the fields of nutrition, sports performance, and aging. He is a Certified
Personal Trainer from the American College of Sports Medicine, a Certified Sports
Nutritionist through the International Society of Sports Nutrition, and a Certified Strength
and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
2019 KSM Heart Walk Team
Members of the Department of Kinesiology and
Sport Management teamed up to participate in
the 2019 American Heart Association Heart
Walk. TEAM KSM consisted of faculty,
graduate teaching assistants, and one Ph.D.
student. All donations and money raised was
donated to the American Heart Association.
Top Row L to R: Bobby Smith, Luke Chowning
Middle Row L to R: Christian Rodriguez, Andrew
Lathrop, Chuck Gilliard, Sydney White, Tristen
Hefner, Angela Lumpkin, Damian DeSantiago,
Karen Penkert Bottom Row L to R: Siddhi Parab,
Alandra Williams, Danie Edgar, Heidi Weindefeld,
Karla Kitten
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In the spring of 2019, the KSM Ambassadors hosted a booth at the Techwell Interactive Fair in which PFW students were able
to test their grip strength and vertical jump. The Ambassadors also attended several recruitment and volunteering events with
Tech to Town in which they worked with Caleb’s Closet as well as planted flowers outside of Doak Hall during the Arbor Day
festivities. Most of the Ambassadors’ focus was on their 1st Annual Golf Tournament, benefitting Women’s Protective Services
of Lubbock on May 5th at the Rawls Golf Course. There was a great turnout by sponsors, students, and participants who enjoyed
a round of golf, a fajita buffet, giveaways, and prizes. The Ambassadors will host their 2nd Annual Golf Tournament at the Rawls
Course benefitting Women’s Protective Services on Saturday, March 28, 2020, with a 1 pm shotgun start and would love to see
you there!
Thus far in the fall semester, the KSM Ambassadors, with 13 new members, have attended several Texas Tech recruiting
events including the College of Arts and Sciences Day, Tech Preview Day, and the Majors and Minors Fair. The Ambassadors
had a booth at Tech or Treat where costumed children saw how far they could broad jump and received glow-in-the-dark
vampire teeth. The Ambassadors will also host a speaker on athletic training in November. Recently, the Ambassadors had
Kinesiology and Sport Management departmental apparel for sale and were able to sell a large number of shirts, hoodies, and
fleece jackets. The Ambassadors hope to have another sale with new clothing items early in the spring semester.
KSM Ambassadors
Serve and Lead
Back (L to R): Nikolas Rizzi, Chris Richardson, Luke Ford, Ryan
Trevino, Dr. Chad Smith Front (L to R): Julia Wright, Randilyn
Sasser, Mariel DeLeon, Bailee Wallace
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Spotlight
And
Awards
Angela Lumpkin Named the Fall 2019 Assessment Spotlight Recipient For her commitment to academic assessment, Angela
Lumpkin, professor and chair in the Department of
Kinesiology & Sport Management (KSM), is the fall 2019
Assessment Spotlight recipient. She was chosen
unanimously for the honor by Texas Tech University's Office
of Planning & Assessment (OPA). “Dr. Lumpkin is a
champion for improving student learning, and we applaud
her for creating departmental assessment procedures that
put KSM students first,” Jennifer Shaulis-Hughes, managing
director of OPA, wrote in the announcement. “It's an honor
for me personally to work with Dr. Lumpkin, and Texas Tech
is better because of Angela's commitment to assessment
excellence.” Angela is pictured with Jennifer Shaulis-Hughes
and Darryl James, who serves as Vice Provost for
Institutional Effectiveness and is responsible for the
oversight of institutional effectiveness.
Left to right: Darryl James, Angela Lumpkin, Jennifer Shaulis-Hughes
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Monica Luna, Donna Torres, and Miranda Ortiz Receive TTU’s Distinguished Guns Up Award
The Guns Up Award recognizes a team of employees that fostered
cooperation with other employees to increase productivity and
efficiency in the organization and has improved customer service
and morale. The 2019 recipients, Monica Luna, Donna Torres,
and Miranda Ortiz, welcome and provide helpful service to
everyone who enters the Kinesiology and Sport Management
building, calls, or interacts with our department. People comment
frequently about how their exemplary performance begins with how
well each individually “goes the extra mile” to answer questions and
help (always with a smile on her face). They complete all the work
associated with graduate admissions, budgetary management for
grants and start-up packages, webmaster, scholarships, room
reservations, budget, personnel (ePAFs), salaries, academic
scheduling, purchasing, travel, inventory, and building repair and
maintenance. They also provide staff support for graduate program
reviews, the hiring process for over 35 faculty and staff searches in
the past 5 years, and support for the Texas Tech chapter of the
Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Faculty members’ commented:
“She is a committed, effective, and flexible worker who is
indispensable for our department. She helps with pressing matters
on a weekly basis and goes out of her way to explain university
policies and procedures. She personally looks out for all of our
graduate students and makes sure they graduate on time.” “She is
a very competent staff who has extensive knowledge,
abundant experience, and a big heart. She is irreplaceable.
She has helped me personally with the management of
external grant funds, payment of human subjects, and
processing applications for admission into our graduate
program. “Our department is truly blessed to have a staff
person like her. She alerts me when things are due.” “She is
always friendly and willing to help or point you in the right
direction.” “She helps me issue temporary parking passes
for my research subjects. Anytime I ask her for help or
guidance on something in the building, she graciously stops
what she’s doing to assist me! “She creates a welcoming
environment for students, faculty and guests.” “She is
always pleasant and in a good mood even though she is
trying to meet everyone’s needs in a timely manner.” “She
devotes tremendous time and effort to improve the
department.”The faculty continuously depend on this team
of outstanding professionals for assistance and answers and
solving problems and resolving issues. Students know they
can count on this team for help, such as their willingness to
stop whatever they are doing and immediately help.
Students appreciate how responsive and helpful this team is
to individually or collectively resolve any issue. Consistently
new faculty and staff comment on how welcoming and
helpful they are. Monica, Donna, and Miranda are huge
contributors to making our department a wonderful place for
everyone to work and learn. Their teamwork is outstanding
with each person’s work complementing the work of the
others to ensure everything gets accomplished seamlessly.
Again, faculty commented: “We have three of the best staff
members on campus who are always willing to lend a
helping hand and we would truly be lost without them. They
are always willing to pitch in on a project and connect us with
people that can take us to the next level.” These three
employees never miss a deadline with their work
consistently outstanding.” “They are true professionals who
are always willing to help students, faculty members, and
staff of our department.” “We have an amazing support staff
who really help make our jobs easier. They are a huge help
and are always patient, even when faculty have a million
questions. We are incredibly thankful for all they do.”
Left to right: Donna Torres, Monica Luna, and Miranda Ortiz
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Cayla Clark, from Wylie, Texas, graduated summa cum laude from Abilene
Christian University (ACU) in May of this year. She was chosen as a University
Scholar by her department because of her academic achievements and
involvement as a research assistant. One of the highlights of her
undergraduate career was getting to present her work as first author in a
poster presentation at the Texas American College of Sports Medicine
conference in February 2019 over the study titled: “Effects of Resistance
Training with Instability and Cadence Walking on Multiple Measures of
Functional Movement and Strength of Persons in Mild to Moderate Stages of
Parkinson’s Disease.” In addition to research, Cayla also was very involved in
the Kinesiology Department at ACU. She was President of Kinesiology Club,
where she led club meetings, planned community service opportunities for the
club, and was a key contributor in planning a virtual Ironman race and sprint
triathlon for the Abilene community. During her last semester of undergraduate work, Cayla interned at Hendrick Medical Center
in Cardiac Rehab. Through her research opportunity and internship, she decided she wanted to pursue graduate work in
exercise physiology. Now, Cayla works as a graduate research assistant under Dr. Joaquin Gonzales, conducting research
over the effects of long duration sleep on central pulse pressure, while currently working on her thesis.
Bailee Wallace is a senior Kinesiology major from Midland, Texas. She has
been recognized as a National Society of Collegiate Scholar and placed on
the President’s List and Dean’s List each semester at Texas Tech. During
her freshman year she was an undergraduate teaching assistant for the
Anatomy I lab and performed SI sessions as a testing phase to try and
implement SI for the Anatomy I course. Through Bailee’s time at Texas
Tech she has been involved in various volunteer opportunities including
serving at a week-long church camp during each summer where she leads
a group of middle school girls in academics and a variety of activities. With
the Victory Life College Ministry, she helps on the Outreach Team speaking
to individuals interested in their ministry and finding opportunities for the
ministry’s college students to get involved in the church and community.
Bailee currently serves as the President/Head Ambassador for the Kinesiology and Sport Management Ambassadors after
serving as Treasurer for 2018-2019. As an Ambassador, Bailee has participated in events involving informative recruitment for
the department including Texas Tech Preview, Majors and Minors Fair, and Arts & Sciences Day where advisers and
Ambassadors speak to prospective students. She has also volunteered with other Ambassadors at campus events like Tech-
or-Treat, AHA Heart Walk, Tech to Town, and Arbor Day along with volunteering at the South Plains Food Bank, Caleb’s Closet,
and Special Olympics Texas. Bailee is currently focused on helping the Ambassadors plan their 2nd Annual Golf Tournament
Graduate Student Spotlight
Cayla Clark
Undergraduate Student Spotlight
Bailee Wallace
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that will benefit Women’s Protectives Services of Lubbock. When not in school, Bailee works as a physical therapy technician
at UMC Team Rehab where she performs modalities, assists therapists with their patients, and completes paperwork. This job
is quite fulfilling as her career goal is to become a physical therapist. She also plans to become NSCA certified as a Strength
and Conditioning Coach to aid in her dream of being a well-rounded physical therapist in the Sports Medicine field. Her next
stop is Physical Therapy School, hopefully here at Texas Tech University!
Three Sport Management undergraduate students, Kenedy
Brandon, Nikolas Rizzi, and Daniel Smith, traveled to Atlanta,
Georgia, in early November to compete in the National Collegiate
Sports Sales Championship competition. The competition is
hosted by Mercer University and the Atlanta Hawks of the National
Basketball Association (NBA). Under the guidance of their
instructor and mentor, Ashley Harry, Kenedy, Nikolas, and Daniel
will be competing against students from 21 other universities in a
fast-paced ticket sales competition. Based on specific buyer
profiles provided by the hosts, students (also known as “sellers”)
pitched a ticket package for NBA tickets to “buyers.” Students
were judged on a number of different criteria including the ability to build rapport with the buyer, their level of product knowledge,
active listening to the buyer’s concerns, and their ability to provide solutions and recommendations, all of which are crucia l to
a successful career in sport sales. This event allowed competitors to not only showcase their sales-based skills, but also the
opportunity to network with Talent Acquisition managers from various professional franchises, intercollegiate athletic programs,
and professional sport venues. These organizations include the NBA, National Football League, National Collegiate Athletic
Association, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and Atlanta Motor Speedway. Our students’ participation in this
competition showcased the knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired through our
Sport Management program. When the KSM arrived at the competition, they met
another team from the Rawls Colleges, so Dr. Mark Fish and Ashley Harry decided
to combine three from each group into one team. TTU’s students competed against
students from 20 other universities and won 2nd place overall, an incredible
accomplishment for both our SPMT students as well as those in the Rawls College
of Business. Congratulations!!! The picture shows the TTU team.
National Collegiate Sport
Sales Competition
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Faculty Grants Fund
Research Projects and Community Service
Dr. Marc Lochbaum, professor specializing in exercise and sport psychology, received three new grants this past summer and fall totaling
$367,230.43. Lubbock Partnership Network ($84,342): The Lubbock Partnership Network funded Dr. Lochbaum as a continuation of his
East Lubbock physical activity after school research programs funded for the past six years by the U.S. Department of Education. This fall
Ervin and Alderson elementary schools and Dunbar College Preparatory Academy have funded Dr. Lochbaum’s programs for the 2019-20
academic school year. These programs provide daily after-school programming for 200 children and youth. Dr. Lochbaum employs 18
Texas Tech University, many in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, students to run his programs. Dr. Lochbaum’s
programs provide physical activity based after school programming. At Dunbar, the program centers on track and field for primarily 6th
grade female students. Ector College Prep Success Academy ($39,500): Dr. Lochbaum received funding from Ector College Prep
Success Academy, a middle school in Odessa with 1500 students, to train the physical education staff in ways to maximize moderate-to-
vigorous physical activity minutes in PE classes. Additionally, Dr. Lochbaum works with after school staff on physical activity programming.
Erasmus+ Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices KA201 - Strategic Partnerships for School Education
($243,388.43): Along with Jarek Mäestu, an Associate Professor at the Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy in the Faculty of
Medicine at the University of Tartu, Dr. Lochbaum won a grant titled Supporting Teachers to Maximize Enjoyable MVPA Minutes in Children
and Youth: Project Enjoyable MVPA – Project JoyMVPA from the Erasmus+ grant system. The award covers 34 months of work with
partners in Lithuania, Finland, Estonia, and Slovenia. The project is very ambitious in that it will support physical education teachers in a
multi-lingual program across the countries mentioned as well as in Europe.
Dr. Joaquin Gonzales, associate professor specializing in clinical exercise physiology, receives an Innovative Project Award from the
American Heart Association. It is well known that sleep duration is important for cardiovascular health such that less than 6 to 8 hours of
sleep is associated with elevated cardiovascular disease risk factors. Interestingly, evidence is emerging that too much sleep is also
associated with higher risk for myocardial infarction and stroke. The mechanism underlying this association has not been explored, but
recent data from the literature does point to a causal link, particularly with regard to the risk for stroke. Through this Innovative Project
Award from the American Heart Association, Dr. Gonzales seeks to understand the effect of long sleep duration on vascular function in
blood vessels of the brain (i.e., cerebral arteries). He will test the hypothesis that overnight change in blood pressure is a causal factor
leading to vascular dysfunction following long duration sleep. This project will involve multiple physiological measurements being assisted
by collaborators Drs. Heather Vellers and Eric Rivas and graduate research assistant Cayla Clark. Dr. Gonzales is one of only six
researchers in the state of Texas to receive this competitive award this year.
Dr. Heather Vellers received research funding from the San Antonio Nathan Shock Center in July 2019 for her project entitled, “Role of
Genetic Background on Age-Related Changes in Mitochondrial Genome Dynamics: Influence of Aerobic." The purpose of this work is
to uncover how aerobic exercise and genetics associate and interact to influence the aging process. While regular daily
exercise enhances biological aging, there are significant inter-individual differences in exercise trainability following a
standardized exercise training regimen, where some increase their aerobic fitness with training, and others respond poorly.
Approximately 50% of individual differences in exercise trainability is due to genetic background. In Dr. Vellers’ current work,
a specific focus is on the contribution of the mitochondrial genome. The findings of this work will be used for precision
medicine; specifically, to implement individualized exercise training and/or nutritional supplementation for improved exercise
trainability, and ultimately, slowing of the aging process.
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Dr. Eric Rivas was awarded the American Physiological Society Research Career Enhancement Award. This award is
designed to enhance the career potential of the awardee and allows an individual in the early phases of his/her career to obtain
special training to develop new skills or retrain in areas of developing interest. Dr. Rivas’ career enhancement project is to
learn the mechanistic study of cerebral and peripheral vascular function via wire and pressure myograph in mice. Dr. Rivas
will spend one week at the host site learning these techniques under Dr. Anne Dorrance, Professor of Pharmacology and
Toxicology, and Associate Chair at Michigan State University. Dr. Dorrance is an expert in cerebral and peripheral vascular
smooth muscle pharmacology, physiology, and function. Her lab focus is on understanding the mechanisms by which cerebral
arteries regulate blood flow and how conditions like obesity and hypertension impair this process. This grant award also funds
a research study utilizing the learned techniques. In collaboration with Dr. Naima Moustaid-Moussa, Professor of Nutritional
Sciences Program here at Texas Tech University, Dr. Rivas’ project will examine the mechanistic study of omega 3s and heat
therapy on vascular function.
Dr. Arturo Figueroa is a co-PI on a three-year research study dealing with intellectual capacity, physical exercise, and aging
funded by the Spanish government. Balie M.Guerra Balic M. is the principle investigator.
Research by New
Faculty Member
NaRi Shin
Nari Shin and co-authors, , Jon Welty Peachey and Doe Jae Park, had their recent International Review for the Sociology
of Sport publication was cited in the NBC Asian America’s article “Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu connects Korean Americans
to Korea through baseball” (see https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/dodgers-pitcher-hyun-jin-ryu-connects-
korean-americans-korea-through-
n1064196?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_aa&fbclid=IwAR3bPE1fHgSfMrvP7TdL9xLrGe8VTnZTpW02ehQvzdmvJ9RJWIY99y_JrDY
This article wrote that Ryu hasn't been just a source of pride for Korean Americans — he's been a source of national pride,
even for second-generation fans. After speaking with six Korean American fans of Ryu, the authors concluded that they
were all caught between two cultures:
“The feeling of being connected to the motherland is very meaningful to them because they have experienced identity crises
while growing up in the USA.” “Participants mentioned the fact that Ryu being ‘fully’ Korean, which means he was born in
Korea and is 100 percent Korean descent, was appreciated by the Korean American community and helped Korean
American fans establish a stronger connection.” Ryu is helping to transcend stereotypes about Asian masculinity: He's not
a doctor. He's not a liquor store owner. He's a 6-foot-3, 250-pound athlete. The crowds that hang on Ryu’s every pitch are
reminiscent of the Asian American fans that would gather to watch Jeremy Lin in action during the height of “Linsanity” when
he played in the National Basketball Association. In this way, Ryu's success isn't important just to Korean Americans, but all
Asian Americans.